Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Emily Davis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Emily , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about how you learned to do what you do?

I learned how to use my voice as an instrument from my dad. He has a history in choral performance, and was often singing around the house. I suppose some of that rubbed off on me.

I started learning guitar when I was a freshman in high school. I’d tried a handful of instruments previously, but none of them really stuck. I was already coming up with song ideas at that point. I just needed an instrument to channel them through. I learned through observation, mostly.

My skill level stayed flat for a decade or so. It wasn’t until I started jamming with other people and collaborating on songs that I progressed. Making music alongside others absolutely helped motivate me to be better at my instrument and it certainly sped up the learning process.

Patience is a virtue in many things, and music is no exception. It’s also a hard skill to master, honestly, but it’s a necessity when you’re learning to play an instrument or working on a song. Some things don’t come immediately. You have to hammer them for a bit — and you have to learn how to be okay with the hammering.

It’s far too easy to become disenchanted in this line of work. Disenchantment has stalled my progress more times than I’d care to admit. At the end of the day, I’m still chugging along with songwriting and performing, so it hasn’t bested me yet.

Emily , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I am a singer songwriter, based out of El Paso Texas, and I’ve been performing alternative folk music for more than a decade now. I don’t remember ever having a starting point with writing or performing. Music has always been a part of who I am, and what I do, and it progressed with me as I got older and older.

I started performing at gigs locally when I was in high school, and a few years later, I began touring the country as an independent artist. I’m proud to be an independent artist, and I’m proud of the work I’ve done even in the absence of industry support. I’ve worked really hard to build the niche audience. I’ve built, and I continue to work hard at improving my craft. Those are the things about my creative life that I’m most proud of. That, and the two musical acts I am blessed to be a part of — Cult Loveless and Emily Davis and The Murder Police.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

I know this might sound strange, but these days my biggest goal is learning how to care a lot LESS. I am a perfectionist at heart, and throughout my life I’ve often attributed my self-worth to who was listening and at what rate.. It’s easy to get caught up in the minutia of streams, and branding, and advertising. It’s easy to stray from the thing that matters the most — loving what you’re doing. I hope to reach new heights with every passing year, but my desire to love my craft and to enjoy the process supersedes that immensely.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I was 23 years old, I had pretty much given up on music. I was in the middle of a major depressive episode, and had decided to return to school. My educational life began to occupy most of my attention and my interest in music steadily declined. I certainly missed it during this time, but I had grown very apathetic towards the idea of writing and performing i

It wasn’t until I had the opportunity to open for my favorite band that I picked up my guitar again. At that point, my calluses had disappeared, and I had forgotten so many of my lyrics, because I hadn’t performed my own music in a handful of years. This was a “fork in the road” moment in my life, I suppose. I had to decide whether or not I wanted to start from scratch again, and the prospect of that felt very overwhelming. Fortunately, I made the right choice and the trajectory of my life has benefited from it substantially.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @emilydavismusic
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/edavismusic
• Youtube: https://YouTube.com/emilydavisofficial
• Other: http://emilydavis.bandcamp.com
• Spotify Solo material: https://spotify.link/2gSxSDWW7Cb
• EDMP: https://spotify.link/d4LwYzZW7Cb
• Cult Lovless: https://spotify.link/ck2RUo1W7Cb
• Apple Music Solo material: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/emily-davis/1444753964
• EDMP: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/emily-davis-and-the-murder-police/1436368577
• Cult Loveless: https://music.apple.com/us/artist/cult-loveless/1489570038

Image Credits
Daryl Simon Hector Gallardo